February 20, 2009 changed my lifestyle significantly. My husband fell in the middle of the night and broke his hip. I was asleep in the back bedroom and did not hear his cries for help. After an hour and a half, he managed to crawl to the bedroom door and proceeded to bang it against the wall as loudly as he could. That set Bella to barking and between the barking and the banging, I finally woke up. We won’t even talk about how guilty I feel that the poor man lay broken and calling me for help and I did not respond.

Surgery, low blood pressure, continued bleeding, red blood cells and plasma are a few of the terms of speech that have invaded my vocabulary. Walker, rehab, physical and occupational therapy, staples, changing bandages, oxygen tanks, hoses and pillows are more things that I find myself talking about.

But this one thing has me angry now. ANEMIA. I capitalize the letters because it is our enemy and I am going in after it today. Infirmity has been robbing my husband and me for more than two months now. ANEMIA, I am coming for you and you WILL run away from my husband and my home. Jesus has given me authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome ALL the wiles of the enemy. You may not take any more from us. Things around here are about to change. NOW!

My 14 year old Walker Hound has been having some nasty health issues. She would have diarrhea at least 4 days a week. She stopped eating to the point where we could count every rib just looking at her. She had no energy, poor thing. I tried everything, adding canned chicken or salmon to her food. I even changed her diet to cooked chicken and rice (time consuming and expensive). The chicken and rice would get her regular again but no matter how much I fed her, she could not put the weight back on. She looked like she was being severely neglected and yet I was doing everything within my power and knowledge to help her.

The worst thing was just watching her lay around so lethargic. When Daisy was a pup, she loved to run and she was very enthusiastic and strong. To see her lay in her bed and not even get excited when we held her leash out to her as we offered her a walk was just pitiful. She would just lay there looking at us as if to say, “No thanks. Not up to taking a walk today.” Sadly, I began to think that old age was just taking it’s toll on her and she probably would die in the next six months.

A friend told me about this product and I am a believer!! Go check out Carol’s website. Tell her Coni sent you.

I started both dogs on the B.A.R.F. diet. That is Biologically Approved Raw Food. To my delight, Daisy ate it right away. I didn’t have to trick or entice her with any added goodies. She sniffed it, walked around the kitchen a couple of times, went back to her bowl and ate the food. When it was time for her second feeding, she was sitting at the “Hey Human, I am hungry!” spot. With no hesitation, she wolfed down her second helping of BARF.

Within days, her stool stopped running and became normal. Who else talks about poop but animal lovers and Mommies? If you have been either, you know how disturbing it is when your “baby” is irregular.

We have been feeding our 2 year old beagle mix, Bella, and our senior grande Dame, Daisy, the raw food diet for about 10 weeks now. Daisy has put on weight. She loves to go for her walks again and even has a little bounce in her step. She has even gone for short runs on her leash. There is a light in her eyes and a shine on her coat. I don’t suspect that she is on her death bed anymore. I am excited to see if we can get another few years of enjoyment out of her.

Bella is happy to be along for the ride. She is healthy and sassy and young. I believe that she is benefitting from this diet as well and expect that eating so well now will increase her years too.

We turned a corner today. Ed has been bleeding and oozing from his stitches since his second surgery on March 31st. When I changed his bandage today, there was not a drop of anything on them. Hallelujah!!! This was a great start to our Easter Sunday. We spent a quiet, restful morning at home.

I had just put some sweet potatoes in the oven when our neighbor, Tim, knocked on the door. He and his wife wanted to bring 2 plates of dinner over for me and Ed. Who am I to dash their dreams? After accepting their offer, I went in to wake Ed from his nap. I set up a table and chairs on our back patio and we had a lovely lunch in our beautiful back yard. With empty plates in front of us, I kicked my chair back and teased with Ed saying, “Hm. I wonder who will bring us a desert.” A few minutes later, Mary came out to our table with a plate of two deserts. A good laugh and a great meal!!! I love our neighbors.

They had an Easter egg hunt in their yard after dinner and we watched the children run around and collect candy and eggs. So cute!

Tamara had a BIG day and she was tired at the end of her egg hunt.

She was still sweet enough to turn and wave good bye.

There were some beautiful butterflies visiting our azaleas. I love taking pics like this.

The most thrilling part of our day happened when, at the end of the egg hunt, Mary saw a snake on top of a pile of branches and clippings that have been waiting since last summer to be burned. The snake turned out to be a watermocassin. We are never happy to find these around our yards. Tim and his brother in law, Paul, decided now is the time to burn this pile down. They borrowed our snake killing hoe from my shed and I dragged my hose over to their yard to help contain the burn.

We all kept our eyes pealed for the snake to come out of the burning pile so Paul could chop him up with the hoe. Yes, I said it. Chop him up! We all agreed that the only good watermocassin is a dead one! Tim says there are only 2 kinds of snakes; dead ones and those that are going to be dead ones. Some one else once said they don’t like live snakes, dead snakes or sticks that look like snakes. I agree with all the above.

Especially when you have children and dogs. The peanut gallery watched from the safety of the window as, one by one, SEVEN snakes attempted to escape their fate. Paul and our trusty hoe had other plans. Snake barbeque.

I will still enjoy my garden in the back yard, I am just reminded to look before rummaging under any of my shrubs.

Ed and I have shared some fun and fabulous first time events together.

This happens to be the first ever wrestling match we went to. We had such a good time cheering for our friend Saber (who won his match by the way) and booing his opponent. We would go to another wrestling match to cheer for Saber anytime.

Now we are sharing our first ever broken hip together. Two hospitalizations and two surgeries plus twenty days in rehab in 5 weeks is quite an event.

Ed came home today. We are both too exhausted to celebrate right now but when he gets well, we will have to do something really fun.

First we need him to stop falling and breaking himself. I am thinking about putting him in a bubble wrap suit. Jennifer S. thinks we should weight his bottom down like a Weeble cause they wobble but they don’t fall down. Tina thought about putting an inner tube around him.

Someone recently told me he was feeling cold toward God. I began to think about this and really let it sink in. I have been there more than once myself. I recognize it as one of the seasons of my faith.

As I look out my kitchen window, I see the grass beginning to emerge a lush, healthy green. The Bartlett pear trees across the street have already shed their delicate, white flowers while the green leaves remain. Gladiolas are pushing up through the mulch and azaleas are splashing the neighborhood with vibrant colors. All the life that has laid dormant through the winter is beginning to come alive again in spring. I feel alive and hopeful.

The weather will grow increasingly warm. I will have to maintain the yard so it does not grow out of control. Grass will need to be mowed, weeds removed, edges tidied up, plants watered, shrubs trimmed. Cookouts, outdoor lunches on the pier with friends, fourth of July fireworks displays and walks on the beach are all a part of summer. A decent mixture of work and play. I feel productive and steady.

The heat of the summer will give way to the brisk temperatures of autumn. The air is refreshing and crisp. The grass does not grow as rapidly. The azaleas will give up their blooms as will the gladiolas and other flowers in my garden. By some marvelous act of nature plants will prepare themselves to go dormant. Autumn goes out in a blaze of glory as the foliage transforms to brilliant reds, yellows and oranges. Our outdoor activities have their last hurrah as we walk mountain trails while enjoying the bright colors around us or perhaps go rafting on the river. We turn our thoughts more to indoor activities. Life begins to get quieter. I feel like settling in for a nap.

Winter. The vibrant leaves of the autumn trees now lie on the ground. Trees look barren. The temperatures drop. Most of our flora lies dormant under the fallen leaves. Some wildlife species burrow underground or in caves for a long winter nap. Seeking refuge from the cold and protection against enemies, they bury themselves as it were. Quiet solitude. For me, there is a feeling of disconnect. I tend to withdraw and nest in the winter. It is a good thing that we have a Christmas celebration to draw us all together or I might not see my friends and family for a whole season. But things in me and around tend to lie dormant. I feel lethargic. Cold.

Someone told me he felt cold toward God. He did not say that he does not hear God or that he does not believe in God. Just that he feels cold. He is in the winter of his faith. Life has challenged and he has sought refuge by going underground metaphorically. The flash and pizzazz of autumn is over. No more colorful trees, no more crisp, refreshing air. Just cold. This is the time when we believers must hold on to Whom we have believed in. We don’t stop believing just because the winter wind is blowing and causing us an occasional shiver. We hold on even though we feel cold.

The disciples were in the winter of their faith after they saw Jesus crucified on the cross. They held on to what they knew about Jesus. They believed that He was Who He said He was. They trusted that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Even though confusion and sorrow tormented them, they hung on to what they believed. They combatted the cold by wrapping themselves in the truth they had come to understand. They prayed, they waited, they closed themselves in the upper room. Together.

And it happened. Winter gave way to spring. Death gave in to Life. Jesus defeated death. He arose! Even more glorious than the golden daffodils fighting through the thawing earth to bloom. Jesus walked out of the tomb into everlasting life. Life emerged from It’s burial place. That Life offered eternal life to you and to me. It is finished. Jesus conquered sin and death when he died. His earthly life came to an end like the end of autumn when the leaves have fallen off the trees onto the ground. He was buried like the dormant plants and animals who seek refuge from the cold. And He burst forth again into LIFE. Just like springtime.

Know this; When you are in the winter of your faith, Spring will come again.